DALLAS: LAST SEASON: 24-58, missed playoffs.
COACH: Rick Carlisle (11th season, 17th NBA season).
PROJECTED STARTING FIVE: G Dennis Smith Jr. (15.2 ppg), G Wesley Matthews (12.7 ppg), F Harrison Barnes (18.9 ppg), F Luka Doncic (rookie), C DeAndre Jordan (12.0 ppg)
KEY LOSSES: G Yogi Ferrell, F Doug McDermott
KEY ADDITIONS: Doncic, Jordan
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Doncic, the third overall pick, is set to be the second straight teenager to start on opening night for the Mavericks, following Smith. The former Euroleague MVP is also expected to contribute right away, perhaps even more than Smith did in a solid rookie season. Jordan's rebounding is a component the Mavericks have lacked. They needed it badly enough that they happily welcomed the player who infamously agreed to join Dallas join three years only to change his mind before he could sign. That saga led to a two-year rebuilding job the Mavericks hope is over.
OUTLOOK: Carlisle is tired of losing coming off consecutive sub-.500 seasons for the first time in his 16-year COACHing career. If Doncic makes the transition from Europe fairly smoothly and Smith continues to improve, the Mavericks should have a shot at a winning record. The playoffs might be a stretch, but it says something that Dirk Nowitzki is set to come off the bench for the first time since he was a rookie 20 years ago. The 40-year-old is gearing up for his 21st season with the same franchise, a record, but looks iffy for the opener because of lingering issues from ankle surgery at the end of last season.

MINNESOTA: LAST SEASON: 47-35, lost in first round.
COACH: Tom Thibodeau (third season, eighth NBA season).
PROJECTED STARTING FIVE: G Jeff Teague (14.2 ppg), G Derrick Rose (8.4 ppg) OR Jimmy Butler (22.2 ppg), F Andrew Wiggins (17.7 ppg), F Taj Gibson (12.2 ppg), C Karl-Anthony Towns (21.3 ppg).
KEY LOSSES: G Jamal Crawford, F Nemanja Bjelica
KEY ADDITIONS: F Anthony Tolliver, G Josh Okogie, F Keita Bates-Diop, F Luol Deng
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Butler requested a trade less than a week before the beginning of training camp. Thibodeau has said the Wolves will only grant his wish if they find a deal that makes sense for them, but the likelihood of Butler joining them on the floor after all the bluster is low. Assuming a trade is consummated, the Wolves would almost certainly receive a starter as part of a package. For now, Rose is playing the shooting guard spot after a decent showing down the stretch last season as yet another former Chicago Bulls player to reunite with Thibodeau.
OUTLOOK: Though the Wolves were able to celebrate their return to the playoffs last spring after a 13-year absence, they were already facing a rough road back in a rugged Western Conference that only got deeper over the summer. Then Butler's unhappiness came to a head. The good news for the Wolves is that Towns has continued to improve into one of the game's best big men with a smooth 3-point shot to boot, and at age 22 he already has his super-max contract signed. Even if this season proves to be a step back, Towns will be the franchise cornerstone for years to come.

PREVIEW

Wolves host Mavs, seeking return to .500

The Minnesota Timberwolves might finally be turning the corner on a tumultuous first half of the season -- from Jimmy Butler's disenchantment and trade, to coach Tom Thibodeau's recent firing -- as they look to snare a season-best fourth consecutive win Friday night.

Interim coach Ryan Saunders, the 32-year-old son of beloved former Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders, who died in 2015, earned his first NBA coaching victory on Tuesday in an emotional 119-117 road triumph against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

With a win against the Mavericks, who have only three road wins in 21 games, Minnesota would reach the .500 mark for the first time since it was 13-13 on Dec. 8. The Timberwolves have played well at home, going 14-6, including winning their last two.

But it was the raucous victory celebration in the visiting locker room at Oklahoma City that might foretell where this talented but so-far underachieving team could be headed in the second half of the season. Plenty of emotion was let loose, with a potential refocusing on camaraderie and making a playoff push.

"That's all those guys in there," Saunders said of the players following the win over the Thunder.

"It's unbelievable how they stayed connected through the whole game, down the stretch. There were so many times we could have disbanded. I can't say enough about that team."

Andrew Wiggins put together his best game of the season, and perhaps career, with 40 points against the Thunder. Players praised Saunders for his coaching acumen throughout the game, especially in crunch time when he made several adjustments that proved to be successful.

"You can see the pedigree," reserve guard Tyus Jones told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

"You can see he's built for this. I'm just happy for him. He works his butt off; he's so dedicated to this organization. He loves this organization more than anyone I know."

The Mavs (19-22) make their first trip of the season to Minneapolis. They defeated the Wolves, 140-136, on Oct. 20 as rookie sensation Luka Doncic finished with 26 points, drilled four 3-pointers and grabbed six rebounds.

Doncic notched his fourth 30-point game of the season in Dallas' home win against Phoenix on Wednesday, and he fell just short with 27 points in Monday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The only thing Doncic seemingly hasn't mastered is how to lead his team to road victories. Dallas is 16-4 on its home floor and has played some nail-biters on the road, but the Mavs' road woes have them on the outside of the playoff field halfway through the season.

"What I like is we've showed the ability to be a very good defensive team," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle told reporters. "We (also) show the ability to be a very good offensive team and an efficient offensive team.

"But, too often, we've mixed in a 19-turnover game and bad transition defense to take the wind out of our sails. There's still a long way to go, a lot to be determined, but the urgency is there."